Bitter, Sweet
by Alia Inverse
Summary: Only years after everything was said and done would she remember that their first meeting had been, in fact, the day of her wedding with another man. NanaxAdult!Reborn.
1. Good Morning

**Disclaimer: I don't own KHR.**

* * *

Nana was a strong woman, and that was something anyone in the neighborhood could testify for. From the moment she had first arrived to the house old man Katsuragi had lived in before moving with his grandchildren, luggage in hand and with a smile on her face for the tall man by her side, everyone who met them could see her strength of character and kind disposure.

She had everything one could hope for; a loving husband, a nice house, a baby on the way and all the life ahead of her. Before long she was on a first name basis with the people living there.

She was happy.

Even when her husband soon left in his search of oil or falling buildings or something of the like (no one was sure what, but they had learned not to ask after a while), and she had to take every challenge by herself, she did so without a complaint. As the months passed by, she began showing and it was increasingly difficult for her to do something as simple as going shopping. Yet she still refused the help, patting her stomach lovingly.

She loved her son. She loved her husband.

She went alone to the doctor, and called for a cab back home, engaging in easy conversation with the driver whenever she could. Sometimes instead of eating at home she went to the nice sushi place three blocks away from her house, and laughed with the pretty dark haired woman and their small child, fantasizing about their children's friendship. The couple at the restaurant chose to ignore the look of longing Nana could not fully hide sometimes.

She was lonely.

And then, he came barreling into her life. The lean, cool looking Italian with his rumpled suit and his permanent smirk, hiding his humanity behind a façade of superiority. And what an encounter it was.

It had been a sunny afternoon; Nana was already on her eighth month of pregnancy, busying herself in the backyard when she heard a crashing sound and looked up to see the crystal panes of the living room's window destroyed and a weird man towering over her.

She cried and tried to stand, but her legs failed her and she hit her head with the step. Dazed, all she could do was roll to the side to avoid the man's fist, but just as she did she felt a sharp pain in her mid-section. All coherent thoughts fled from her, and she shouted half from fear and half from pain not daring to move anymore, not thinking of anything but her cute unborn baby.

The man lifted his hand, and through her haze she was able to see the gleam of a gun pointed at her, and once again she fought to get back on her feet; this wouldn't do, not now, not like this. Her hand hit a solid object and she curled it around the garden scissors that lay forgotten by her side; with difficulty she struggled to sit but even that seemed out of her abilities; she put the garden tool in front of her, as if it could shield her, and the man cackled before pulling the trigger…

But the shot never came. She looked up to see the man bleeding profusely from the hand, cursing. Suddenly his eyes widened comically, looking at something behind her; before she could question it, however, a deep baritone voice resounded.

"Chaos."

The second bullet pierced right through the man's heart, and he fell lifeless to the floor. Nana mercifully closed her eyes, unable to see the man's, even this man's final moments. She didn't open her eyes until she felt the stranger turn around and crouch in front of her, hiding the scene from view. "Miss Sawada? How are you feeling?"

She tentatively peeked through half-closed eyelids, to come face to face with the darkest eyes she had ever seen, and just the tiniest bit of concern in them. Unable to understand what had happened and feeling a killer headache from where she fell before, she merely nodded quickly, and he wordlessly stood up, offering her a hand to stand. She took it but, as she was heaving herself up, she realized that there was blood under her. Her blood.

The pain was back tenfold, and where she had been afraid before, full-blown panic coursed now. "Hospital. Please, call the hospital." She squeaked with slightly hysterical tones; she couldn't lose him, not her son. She would not survive that. "Please, help me."

After a pause of a single heartbeat, the Italian was already phone in hand, quickly ordering the nurse on the other side, sounding confident and sure of himself. Nana clung to his voice as if it was a lifeline, trying to convince herself that everything would be right again. Her breathing sped up as they waited, and tears welled up in her eyes; she knew that she was losing too much blood, if they didn't do something soon… "Hey, don't worry, miss Sawada. The medics are here."

He scooped her in his arms as the paramedics finally arrived and quickly followed them into the ambulance, sitting in the corner to let the men do their work, his face unreadable, his eyes obscured by the elegant fedora. The woman kept looking at him, trying to listen to the doctors' orders, trying to absorb the calmness that just seemed to irradiate from the man.

"Don't worry, Sawada-san. You can do this." She was quickly wheeled inside, but the man didn't follow. The next hour passed in a blur of anxiety, nerves and panic, all kind of scenarios crossing her mind, each worse than the other. A nurse kept murmuring reassuring things that she didn't hear, someone said orders that she could barely follow. 'Is he okay?' was the only question replaying over and over in his mind and she couldn't even find the strength to say it.

With the blessed sound of a child's cries, she finally lost consciousness.

* * *

"-blood loss, but your wife should be alright. We do want her to stay a few days in observation though." The same doctor that she vaguely remembered was saying and she tried to focus her sleepy mind. Wife? Was Iemitsu here?

"And the child?" Her hopes were crashed when she heard the deep voice from the unknown man. However the answer to the question was far more important than anything else at the moment.

"… It is difficult to say at this stage. He was delivered several weeks before it was due and in extremely harsh conditions. In the worst case scenario he could have severe brain damage or respiratory problems. However, all signs point to him being a very healthy baby; I'm afraid we will have to monitor him until he grows up a bit, but there should not be many causes for concern." At her soft gasp, the men finally seemed to notice her awake, and the doctor's gaze immediately softened. "I would have preferred to tell you this in a better situation, but congratulations, Sawada-san. You had a very handsome young man."

"Can I… Can I see him?" She squeaked, feeling her throat dry.

The doctor sighed. "We are finishing the last tests but if all is in order, I will personally bring him to you as soon as we are done." With a last nod to them, he turned and left the room.

Nana spied at the other occupant of the room, feeling slightly awkward. But even so… "Thank you. Thank you so much, ah…"

"Reborn. You are welcome, miss Sawada." He shortly answered, seemingly uninterested.

"How do you know my name?" She finally asked after a few seconds of silence. He seemed surprised, but then he smirked. "I know that moron of a husband of yours."

"Well, it sure was good luck that you came when you did. I wonder why that burglar chose to come to my house. I mean, we are not really rich or anything… maybe I should warn the neighbors?" The man gave her an incredulous look that thankfully she didn't notice. "If you don't mind me asking… why were you carrying a… you know…"

"A gun? For safety." The half-truth fell easily from his lips; it was enough that a slip in CEDEF's security had the wife of the fearless leader revealed and open to attacks, but he wouldn't be the one to involve her more deeply in the mafia and destroy her innocence. No, Iemitsu was doing a great job of it all by himself.

They never talked again until the doctor came back, carrying a little bundle in his arms. Feeling the tears roll down her cheeks, Nana looked in awe at the mini human in her arms, squirming in discomfort until she brought him close to her. Feeling the warmth of his mother's body, the baby opened his big brown eyes to curiously stare at her, not quite focusing his gaze yet. She looked up worriedly, but the doctor assured her that that was something to be expected. "What name should I put in the records, Sawada-san?"

"Tsunayoshi. His name is Sawada Tsunayoshi." She beamed proudly, missing the look of amazement of the dark haired man, so used to death but not to its opposite, but still remaining stoic in his post. When the doctor left however, Leon the pet chameleon was quick to jump into the bed and approach the little family, curiously licking the boy's face. With a startled gasp, the boy looked around and extended his hands towards the funny animal, making strange sounds that almost sounded like laughing.

Nana cooed and giggled, before looking at the hitman. "Do you want to meet Tsuna, Reborn? I'm sure you will get along great."

Eyes slightly widening, the fedora man had to struggle to not back away; recovering his poise (he was the best after all; it wouldn't do to show fear to a nineteen inches bundle of pee and tears) he slowly walked towards them. Tentatively, he poked the baby's cheek with one long finger, honestly puzzled about the doctor's statement; where did those people see anything remotely alluring in it?

The baby gurgled and tried to swat his hand away, before yawning and snuggling close to his mother again. She let out a soft laugh again. "See? He already likes you."

Quirking an eyebrow, Reborn simply straightened and took an expensive looking phone from his pocket. "Speaking of which, somewhat should tell the moron that he is a father now. I supposed you'd like to be awake when he was called."

To his surprise, Nana almost looked afraid at his words. She opened her eyes and finally asked, "so, are you leaving Reborn-san?" She didn't want to be alone again.

To his even greater surprise, he found himself shaking his head. "I have some free time. Might as well spend it here." His words seemed to soothe her, and looking away he quickly searched the number listed under 'idiota' in his phone. After three dialing tones, a cranky leader answered.

"_What do you want? I don't have time for you right now."_ The voice at the other side said. Reborn's eye twitched; just who did the blond think he was?

"Just thought you'd want to hear from your _wife_, daddy~" He answered with just a bit of sarcasm and killing intent, winking at Nana playfully.

"_I am very busy to… wait, what? You are with my lovely Nana? You bastard, where the hell have you hidden her… wait, what?"_ snorting, Reborn passed the phone to the expectant woman, that accommodated the baby on one arm as if she had been doing this for years instead of a few minutes. "Hi, dear." She said.

"_Nana! Where are you? Are you alright? Did that bas… Reborn do anything to you? Don't believe anything he says about me! Are you alright?"_ she chuckled at her husband's antics.

"Yes, I am great. We are at the hospital… no, I'm not hurt! Dear… no listen!" She sighed as her husband tried to say a hundred things as she talked. "Tsuna is here!" Disappointed by the lack of reaction, Nana continued. "Our son is… here. We are parents, Iemitsu!"

She heard a crash on the other side, as if the phone had fell down his fingers, and shaking her head she waited patiently until someone took it. A stern, feminine voice greeted her after a while._ "Damn, Reborn! What the hell did you do to the boss this time?"_

"Ah… I'm sorry… I'm Nana, Iemitsu's wife. What happened?"

"_Nana? One moment." _The woman said, and Nana heard something that sounded suspiciously like a kick and a reproach followed by a man's whine. Several maim threats later, her husband was back on the line. _"Are you sure honey? Why didn't you tell me it was going to be now?"_

Slightly annoyed, she shifted Tsuna's weight slightly before answering. "Yes, I am quite sure. And of course I didn't know it was going to be _now._ Actually it was…" she hesitated. "He came a little earlier than expected."

"_That's my boy! Papa is so proud of you both!" _That made her smile.

"Are you coming home soon?" She said hopefully; he had promised to ask for a few weeks off once the baby was born.

"_Well you see… this is so unexpected, I don't think I can get out of work now… I thought we had almost two months before he was born. I am so, so sorry, honey! I'll try to be there as soon as things around here have calmed down a bit."_

"Oh… I see…" Seeing Nana's crestfallen expression, Reborn felt the urge to shoot the blond into oblivion. Not that he didn't understand where he was coming from; the inside threat had to be found and exterminated. But it seemed like Nono's talks about family and responsibility had also gone right over his head. "Well… yes, fine then. You know where we will be! Ah… yes…" She got off the phone, handing it back to its owner. "He wants to speak to you."

"What?"

"_I still haven't forgiven you! You should have told me right away! What-"_

"Tell me what you want or I will hang up."

The man at the other side stopped his whining and sobered up. _"Turegano is still looking for the culprit, and Lal and Colonello are doing damage control. I can't spare any men right now to protect my adorable wife from more assassins."_

"I'll charge a supplement."

"_Who are you, Viper!? Agh, you know what, fine. Just make sure she is okay until I can get there."_

Reborn hung up without another word, knowing full well that it would irk the other to no end. Pocketing the phone, he turned to the mother. "Since it seems I'll stay here for a while, I'll crash at your house." He said, leaving no room for argument. The woman blinked, dumbfounded, before breaking into a happy grin. Reborn was taken aback; it was the happiest she had seen her since she first held her baby in her arms.

"Of course! We have more than enough rooms for guests! I hope you are a heavy sleeper or Tsu-kun will wake you up though." He smirked; 'Tsu-kun' would probably be the last of his problems. Not that he expected for any hitman wannabe to actually pose a _threat_ to him.

It wasn't until two weeks later than she was discharged from the hospital. In that time, Reborn had finished off five different threats ranging from a sniper to two suspicious-looking nurses, and scared senseless a bunch of Yakuza who were now under his every beck and call.

Not that Nana knew that, of course. For her he was only a recurrent visitor, always cool and aloof. In that time however she learned to push some of his buttons, and Reborn found that he could not be as mad at the moron as he would like; he wouldn't be caught dead admitting it, but he enjoyed the little family's company.

He took the baby in his arms, still slightly awkward around him as if the boy was going to break if he pressed too hard, while Nana opened the door and skipped inside. "Come on in, Reborn!" She said, having convinced him to drop the formal suffix the day before. "I'll prepare a room for you right away."

He didn't miss the way her eyes flickered to the backyard, though there wasn't a trace left of what had happened there two weeks prior, before she eagerly went up the stairs, happy because she was finally able to walk away from that dreadful hospital bed. When she was out of sight, he turned back to the little bundle in his arms. "This is going to be interesting, don't you think?"

* * *

Another three weeks passed by, and that particular morning found Reborn drinking an espresso from a new coffee machine that he had bought a few days after moving in, complaining about 'brats who won't shut up' (that earned him a whack from Nana) and 'numbskulls who don't know when to stop', though that particular remark had stopped about a week and a half ago.

Soon after, Nana also came into the kitchen and Reborn, ever the gentleman, quickly stood up to relieve her from the weight of a rapidly growing Tsuna, casually putting him in his lap. As always, Tsuna giggled and extended his hands towards Leon, who still sore from his last encounter with the child, climbed further into Reborn's fedora. Tsuna pouted, gurgling, and would have fallen down if Reborn hadn't steadied him with his free hand. "Easy there, boy."

He looked up when a couple of toasts were placed in front of him a bit forcefully, to find Nana stand there with her hands on her hips in full mother-hen mode. "You tried to skip breakfast again, didn't you? I keep telling you, it's not good for your health." She looked at him slyly. "I understand that you worry about your figure, model-san, but it won't do any good if you faint."

Reborn answered with a smirk of his own. "Not even close."

Nana sighed before pocking at her own breakfast. It had become part of their morning routine, for her to try and guess Reborn's job, since he refused to reveal anything about himself. Yesterday had been a spy, and the day before that a private detective. He was still waiting for the 'astronaut' guess, or something equally impossible. 'Assassin' and 'Mafioso' had never even come close to the list, and maybe it was for the best.

"So maman, what do we have planned for today?" Nana blushed at the nickname Reborn insisted on calling her, even if inwardly she felt ridiculously happy at the reminder.

"Well… I saw a really cute outfit for Tsuna in the add for that new shopping centre. He doesn't really need it, and it'll probably still be too big for him but…"

"Shall we go then? They might even have some decent coffee as well." He clicked his tongue, but Nana only rolled her eyes. The man had expensive tastes, and never seemed satisfied when his daily brew was involved. When she was ready, the hitman opened the door with a mocking bow and she curtsied before stepping outside.

Tsuna was observing everything from the stroller with his brown eyes wide open, and Nana pushed it happily along the streets, with Reborn a step behind her. A little nagging voice inside of her said that she should not be this happy about these simple moments; that the man by her side could not, would not be anything more than a friend. But a friend was enough.

_For now._ She ignored the treacherous longing in her heart. Iemitsu would be home soon.

_And just how long will he stay this time?_ But Reborn would leave too, sooner or later. He was only doing a favor for a friend, she knew it.

_What if…? _It was dangerous to think like that.

By her side, Reborn lowered his head, his eyes hidden by his ever present fedora. This had been going for too long; things had calmed down and there was no reason for still being here. It would be dangerous to stay for much longer, or he would fall again under the spell.

The best hitman in the world could not lose to it._ That would not do._

Plastering a fake smile in his face, he resisted the urge to come an inch closer to her hand. Leon stuck his tongue at him reproachfully. _It can't be helped._

He ignored the last message in a long string of them, coming ever since the day before. For better or worse, today would be the last day. The files had been destroyed, the mole captured and all assassins dispatched. Everything was fine for her once again, and it was time for the shadows to take over once more. _If only…_

But as the hours passed by the awkwardness of the moment faded as always. After a couple of matching T-shirts for Nana and Tsuna that had the woman gushing over how perfect they were for over twenty minutes, a new set of filters for the coffee machine and a guiltily eaten strawberry shortcake, they finally made their way back home, falling into an easy, contented silence.

When they arrived at the house, the front door was open and the light of the hallway was lit. The faintest of shadows crossed Nana's eyes before she called her husband's name, who came running as soon as he heard her, already melting in praises for her and their son. Reborn ignored the twinge of jealousy that had no place in the scene, and proceeded to mercilessly taunt the leader until he was fuming.

Seeing them there, hand in hand, he knew it was time to let go, and he patted Tsuna's head before turning to the couple. "I've already lost too much time here. We'll talk later, Iemitsu." The blond shivered, knowing that the hitman's idea of talk would be in par with Lal's.

"You… are welcome back anytime, Reborn. Tsuna would love to see you again." She said, looking at him with an intense look that only lasted for half of a second. He didn't miss the sadness in her eyes, but he also noticed the guilt in them.

"Sure. Goodbye then."

He tried to promise himself that he would never step inside that house again. And for a while, it worked.

* * *

Another four months went by, and the warm days of spring were already beginning. Keeping a careful eye on Tsuna, Nana was preparing the iron in one corner of the living room when the phone started ringing. Quickly disconnecting the device, she walked into the room, smiling when her son looked up from his stuffed toy. Waving at him, she took the phone, wondering who could it be.

"Hello?"

"…" No one answered on the line, but she could hear a faint breathing. Slightly spooked, she said again, with a trembling voice. "Hello?"

"… Maman…" She gasped at the voice that had become so familiar to her in such a short amount of time. He sounded so regretful, burdened by something dark and poisonous. Somewhere inside, she realized that this was one of those 'make or break' moments in life.

"Reborn!" She cheerfully said, planning to act normal and talk as if she hadn't noticed his tone. But she changed her mind and her next words came in a low voice, "how are you feeling?"

A faint chuckle was heard, and the ominous feeling lifted a bit. "It'll pass."

"Do you have some free time next week?" She asked suddenly. The hitman blinked at the loneliness in her voice. It was something he was not used to hear, but it was not hard to guess the motive of her sadness. "Not before the end of the month."

"… The end of the month would be perfect." The woman said, relieved.

"… I'll see you then."

Reborn hung up with a sigh, not looking back at the bloody scene behind him. He was getting soft, it seemed. He couldn't help but curse himself for not being just a little bit quicker; however since when an assassin should be concerned about the ones lost in the crossfire? Since when would he care about saving lives, even innocent ones?

Calling had been a mistake. Never before had his regrets taken hold of him like that, in the middle of the assignment and without even a bottle of brandy by his side, but seeing the young woman in the ground, his mind had not been able to erase her frightened expression on that day. What could have been. He had caved to the whim of at least hear her, to reassure himself that she was alright.

Why had he agreed to go see her again? It would bring nothing but pain for both of them, in the long term. He knew it. But it would be just one visit… it couldn't hurt, could it?

He didn't know it yet, but from that day the spider web closed definitely around them both.

* * *

The evening of the last day of March, the Italian took a taxi in the airport cursing at his latest employer for being a two-timing weasel (he knew there was a reason why he stuck with Timoteo most of the time). He had gotten off with a couple of scratches, but as the saying goes, you should have seen the other guy. No, what truly annoyed him was that the incident had caused him to almost break his promise. And the best hitman in the world did not break his promises.

Forty minutes is what took the terrified driver to drop him off a few blocks away from the Sawada residence; it would not do to be irresponsible now. He growled quietly at the setting sun, willing it to stay put until he reached his destination. When he reached the house, there weren't any lights on, except on the kitchen. Wishing he could break someone's nose again, the hitman decided to slip in through the window; despite his physic, he was actually quite good at sneaking around and entering undetected. He found the 'break' part of infiltrating a building to be amateurish and undignified.

What he saw however, made him forget about his anger against the world and instead direct it to a blond idiot; Nana was sitting with Tsuna in front of her, and in the middle there was a small cake with a candle on top, just blown. Even though he couldn't see her face, her shoulders were trembling.

"Chaos." He said, closing the window to stand casually against the counter, as if he had stood there the whole time. She turned around quickly, her eyes moist and surprised, and he chuckled. "What, you thought I forgot?"

The woman didn't answer; instead she wordlessly got up and hesitantly hugged him. After a moment of doubt, he put his arms around her as well, holding her as she quietly sobbed in his suit. After she calmed down, he accompanied her to a chair and she finally hiccupped, "he sent flowers."

He snorted. For someone so 'utterly, completely, really, really in love', he had met few people more insensitive and accidentally cruel than the blond. Couldn't he see how Nana was breaking? That she deserved something more than empty words? _Why don't you fill that role?_ Listening to that voice inside… maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

"You are acting weird, Reborn." The woman in a ridiculously big hat said, poking at him with one finger.

"Am not." He answered without looking at her, twirling the gun-Leon in his hand as they waited for the target. Apart from the Vongola, the Giglio Nero was one of the very few families Reborn had no qualms working with, and their boss was by far the one person most familiar with the man.

"Yes, you are! You keep disappearing to who knows where, and you get this lost-in-thougth looks when you think no one is looking. _And_ I caught _you,_ _smiling!_ Oh, my God! The world is ending, isn't it?"

"Like you wouldn't know that." He begrudgingly admitted. About two years had passed since his first visit, and the hitman found it increasingly hard to stay away from the household. It started with short calls, little more than asking how were they doing and how was Tsuna growing up.

Every now and then, Nana would open her mail to find a postcard from different places, each with little more than a signature on the back. Then he started visiting more often, never giving a reason why; he would just suddenly appear and stay for a few hours, maybe a couple of days. Staying away had become even more difficult now that the baby was beginning to talk and greet him happily.

"You should act like you have a heart." Reborn merely lifted an eyebrow in her direction, but she swatted his forearm. "I know you know what I'm talking about! Geez Reborn, I was trying to sound profound there, you know." She whined.

"Did you see something?" He asked, giving in as he always did when Luce acted childish like that. She hadn't seemed to outgrow that, even after becoming a mother herself.

"Actually, no I didn't. But you just admitted it! What is it? It's a girl, isn't it? Aw, am I auntie Luce now?" She asked happily; just then Reborn saw movement in the warehouse they had been spying and he motioned for Luce to prepare herself. She sighed, regretting losing the opportunity to get some juicy information on the stone-faced assassin.

"It's not that simple." He murmured just before she was out of earshot, as they moved to intercept the illegal cargo. Luce stared at his back for a moment, before moving in as well; she would let it be for now, but soon, Reborn would be spilling.

* * *

**I don't think I've ever read a fic with this pairing, so here it is! Originally it was supposed to be a two-shot, but I might expand it to a three-shot, depending on how it goes ^^. Thank you for reading, and please leave a review if you have the time!**


	2. GoodBye

The day came when their game of pretend had to come to an end.

It was New Year's, a time where surprisingly Reborn never got many assignments. Instead of believing it was because of some kind of 'Christmas spirit', he blamed it on the parties and new alliances that would appear around this time of the year, and the hypocrite fools that most Mafia bosses were.

Whatever; it gave him the perfect excuse to come back.

"Ebown!" The child's voice was the first thing he heard as he slid open the crystal doors to avoid unwanted attention. He smiled at the toddler, who was trying to stand up gripping tightly the bars of the table. He patted the brunet's head fondly, allowing Leon to go down with the baby while he looked into the hallway.

"Reborn! Wait just a second, I'm almost done!" He heard her voice coming from the second floor, and he chuckled. He went back to Tsuna, who was busy bouncing a ball-Leon, and with ease he retrieved the pet after a particularly harsh bounce. "Tsuna, what did I say about hitting Leon too hard?"

"Not to…"

Leon gave his master a grateful look, before going back to his chameleon form and approaching Tsuna, who looked at him a bit apprehensively. "Sowy." The pet licked him, making him giggle. Feeling a presence behind him, Reborn turned around, and suddenly both were gaping at the other.

Nana was wearing a knee length brown skirt with a cream colored pullover, that complimented her figure perfectly; Reborn had forego his usual attire to wear a pair of expensive looking jeans and a simple shirt, in an attempt to not stand out as much. Nana laughed first, looking at him appreciatively. "That look suits you. It makes you look younger."

"Umph. I _am _young." He answered, moving to take the baby before he fell again.

"Really? How old are you?" She asked slyly. He smirked but didn't answer that. "Look, I'll tell you mine and you tell me yours; I am twenty-four."

"Sure. Well, I'm old enough to drink." He said, not daring to call her on her lie. "Let's go, then."

It was easy to get infected with the happy atmosphere everywhere they looked. Couples and families surrounded them as they spent the day in the fair. Before they knew it, the night have fallen and everyone was hurrying to the shrine where the main attraction of the night was just starting.

Nana observed the fireworks entranced. It had been her dream, ever since she had been a little child, to one day go to the festival in her hometown and watch them together with the person she loved.

She had moved to Namimori. And Iemitsu had been too busy to make enough time in the months they were dating. But now, seeing the red and green sparkles next to the boy he loved the most and the elegant man who had spent so much time caring for her, noticing her…

It felt like a dream come true.

Sitting in a nearby bench, she unconsciously let her head fall to her companion's shoulder. A hand curled around hers, and in that moment, duty and responsibility fled from her mind. She turned at the same time he did, and she could feel his breath so close, so close… in that moment her heart flipped and sped up, as if she was the heroine of a movie. She closed her eyes and their lips touched for the first time.

It wasn't a passionate kiss at first; it was slow and so, so soft. Forgetting about the world, she let her hands travel to the back of his neck, and a second later he put his arms around her waist, pressing her close to him. Time seemed to slow down as they continued, for years until they finally broke up to breathe again.

Suddenly realizing what had happened she gasped, at the same time that he rested his forehead against her. Diverting her gaze, she loosened her arms, before whispering. "Reborn… this can't go on."

The man sighed, closing his eyes. He hadn't wanted this to end, but he had destroyed it in one rash movement. Yet as he tried to pull away, she grasped the sleeves of his shirt, and suddenly lifted her head. Her eyes were shining with melancholy but, above all, determination. "I'm going to divorce Iemitsu."

For once, anyone could have been able to read the surprise in his face. Even if they rarely mentioned it, he knew what a big step this would be for Nana… and he also knew what could it cost her. She continued. "I know… I can't ask for you to be by my side. But I need to do this."

He gritted his teeth; what was he hesitating for now? He was already too far in to pull out… but even then, he could not let that beautiful, strong woman make the same mistakes.

"If you still want me by your side, I will stay. I will cut the ties with my life until now and stay with you." He put a finger on her lips, to prevent her from speaking. "But I won't lie to you anymore. Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes!"

"Even if it destroys everything you believed in? And if you will most likely regret that choice?"

She would have thought he was joking had she not known him as well as she did. And he was being deadly serious about it; she took a few moments to think, but in the end there had only been one answer. "Yes."

Reborn took her home then, lost in his memories, and she followed without a word, feeling a shiver down her smile. Together they sat at the kitchen table with a coffee pot prepared in front of them.

He looked at the dark brew for a while, collecting his thoughts. "Promise me that you will listen until the end. Then you can do whatever you want, and I won't stop you. Nor will I let anyone else harm you."

"I promise."

"Do you remember three years ago, the day Tsuna was born?" She nodded; how could she forget? "It wasn't a burglar. It was an assassin, and you were his target."

"What?"

"Me, and your husband as well. We have many powerful enemies. Around that time there was a leak in information in the organization Iemitsu works for, and someone discovered the relation between you two. As soon as… his boss heard, he contracted my services to come and protect you. I barely made it in time."

"Are you… federal agents or something like that?" She asked, even if she already knew that wasn't the truth. But the alternative was so much worse.

"No. Nana, I am a hitman. An assassin. Normally, I only take jobs from… the Italian Mob."

"Mafia!?" She shouted. She stood up, ready to take her baby and run away. But his shoulders had slumped and he was looking at her with this melancholic look in his eyes; at the very least, she needed to know his motive. Now she understood why he made her promise.

"Mostly. I did a few deals with business men in the past, but it is easier to watch your back when you create a reputation in the underworld."

"And… and Iemitsu? Is he… like you?"

"No. I am a freelancer. He is part of a famiglia. However, the Vongola is probably the best choice for someone of his morals."

"Morals!? You are criminals! You are… killers!"

"Yes and no. In Iemitsu's defense I'll say that from what I heard he owes his life to the Capo of the Vongola, who adopted him in a difficult moment. We may not have absolution but Nono… he is different. He is trying to change things… at the very least, he is a man of honor, and that is something difficult to find this days."

"You speak fondly of him."

"I owe him many things as well." He smirked ruefully. "The mafia is not the best place for a fifteen year old brat with more pride than brains. He was the first one to try and knock some sense into me."

She kept quiet for a while, trying to find something in his gaze; he stood impassively, looking steadily at her. Finally she asked, "how many?"

"Would it make a difference?"

"No, but…"

"I lost count at thirty-five. But I never kill any other than my targets."

She massaged her temple, with a chocked laugh. Then she stood up and went to the sink with the used cups, needing something to occupy her hands. She heard him stand but he didn't try to approach her, and Nana felt grateful that he understood. "I need… time to think about it."

He nodded, even if she couldn't see him. "… Call me if you want." Once more, he left the house not knowing if he would be allowed to come back. But this time, he would not fight it.

* * *

"What's with the long face, kora?" The blond shouted over his ninth beer, nudging the hitman with his elbow. The other growled, reminding himself that maiming the nuisance wasn't worth Lal's wrath.

"I don't know what the hell are you talking about." He deadpanned, clicking his tongue at the poor wine of the Italian bar. In the rare occasions when the rogue man did convince him to 'go out for a drink' he irremediably ended up lamenting ever agreeing.

"Don't give me that, kora! I have enough moping around with the boss tooo have you at it too." Colonello was already slurring in his speech, which was never a good thing; on the other hand, it had reached the point where he in the morning he wouldn't even remember why was he in the counter (since Reborn was not about to give him a ride either way).

"What's wrong with the moron?" He asked, slightly curious. Luckily, his partner was more than happy to share.

"Problemss with his wife, it seems. Called to say he was going and she told him to get lost. Dunno." Reborn masked his elation quickly; that Nana had decided to leave Iemitsu was something that was bound to happen, but it didn't mean that he was forgiven as well. Oblivious to his plight, Colonello continued. "Man, what's wrong with her, korra? Can't she see how much Iemitsu lovves her? She shhouldn't be so stingy."

Colonello was startled out of his drunken stupor by a green gun between his eyebrows. He looked at Reborn, confused, and the other barked, "don't talk about what you don't know, Colonello."

Reborn scowled as he removed the gun and, finishing the glass in one go, moved to leave the place. He had wasted enough time doing nothing.

"What'ss wrong with him, kora?" The CEDEF officer murmured, before calling the barmaid once again.

* * *

He stood by her side the whole time the other was in the house. He never talked as accusations were thrown around.

"How could you do this to me, Nana! And with _Reborn!"_ Iemitsu spat angrily from his side of the room.

"Do you expect me to say that I'm sorry?" Nana stood his ground with her hands on her hips, and only Reborn noticed the way her lip trembled as she continued to argue. "I can't believe you are so selfish!"

"Do you think he is some kind of hero? If only you _knew_ what he does for a living you'd come crying back to me!" He said as the senses left him; the man in the fedora dared to lure her with his lies when _he _was the one who loved her the most.

"I know. _I know everything. _You thought I wouldn't have liked to know that you are in the _Mafia?! _We could have been _killed!_ And you didn't _care!" _She said, with tears welling up in her eyes.

"I gave you everything you wanted!" He argued back, waving a hand at the room.

"I don't need your money or your presents! All I ever wanted was for someone to _see _me! He did!"

"Yes, I can imagine how much he has_ seen."_ The blond sneered, looking at her as if she was filthy. Reborn was already halfway across the room when the sound of something hitting flesh stopped him. Nana raised her hand again at a dumbfounded Iemitsu, tears falling freely now down her cheeks. "Leave this house."

"Honey, I'm sorry, I…" He said, pressing his hand against the soft spot in his cheek.

"Leave!" She shouted, shaking her head. In that moment, a cry startled the three occupants of the room; their shouts had woken the toddler upstairs. With one last hurt look, Nana hurried away. Iemitsu tried to stop her, but a hand kept him in place.

"You've done enough here." The hitman said calmly.

"This is not the last you two will hear of me." He growled, slamming the door shut after him. Only when he heard the sound of an engine speeding away, Reborn allowed himself to relax.

A few days later, the papers of the divorce arrived, signed. And along with them came a formal notice that Iemitsu Vongola Sawada would be fighting for his son's custody.

* * *

An irate hitman was stomping down the corridors of the great Vongola mansion, ignoring servants and underlings on his way to the boss' office. The ninth cloud guardian glared at him with distaste, but the raven head ignored him, slamming open the door to the office. There stood Timoteo, sitting beside the desk with a stern look on his face, but Reborn barely registered it as he stared at the other occupant of the room.

The tension escalated quickly as both men released their killing aura; it got to the point where Reborn's hand twitched to his back-up gun, but a sign from the ageing man made them stop. "Reborn, I trust your trip went well?"

Reborn grunted in agreement, and the other man snapped. "He is a traitor to the Famiglia! We should not even bother listening to him, Ti… Nono!"

"Watch your tongue, Sawada. I am not the one who has betrayed his family."

"Why you…!" The blond lunged towards the hitman, who caught his fist with ease, twisting it around. That didn't stop the advisor for long, hitting Reborn in the gut with his elbow; caught by surprise, the hitman let go. He dodged Iemitsu's next punch and immediately retaliated with a round kick, but the voice of the leader stopped them. "That'll be enough."

"Reborn, I am disappointed in you." He added. Any other time, the dark haired man would have apologized or tried to change the other man's mind. Not this time. "I am not ashamed of anything I have done."

Timoteo slammed his palms against the desk. "You were having an affair with another man's wife! That kind of behavior is not accepted in the Famiglia."

Iemitsu smirked, thinking that they had pinned the hitman into a corner; but to his chagrin, he answered calmly, with the same murderous tone of before.

"I am not part of your Family, Nono. Nor will I be part of the Mafia for much longer. And, an affair?" He scoffed. "I was there when she needed someone. You on the other hand," he turned to the blond with an angry scowl, "you condemned her to a miserable life. She broke a little more every time you rejected her. _You_ treated her as if she was a doll you could keep safely tucked away in your toybox, but that is not how it works."

"What would you know about love? You are using her as well! Do you think you'll be able to forgive yourself that way?" He stopped when the hitman glared at him murderously, and unconsciously took a step away, his hand moving towards the gun in its holster just in case.

"Tell me Iemitsu, do you know when is your wife's birthday?"

"What the-?"

"Better yet, do you know what is her favorite food?"

"I…?"

"Do you know that she hates roses?"

"Don't dare to pin this on me, you bastard! I don't even know why are we having this conversation. Marry her and destroy your career if you like." He snapped. It was not his fault that work took so much of his time; he didn't need someone who couldn't accept that.

Reborn gritted his teeth, and decided to stop delaying for that moron's sake. "Leave Tsunayoshi out of your petty revenge. Don't you dare take him away from Nana or I swear to God that I will hunt you down and kill you."

"Reborn." Timoteo interrupted, and both men turned to him. "You know about Tsunayoshi's inheritance as well as we do. He needs the Famiglia's protection. If Nana refuses to stay with Iemitsu, we have the right to adopt him."

A red haze clouded his thoughts, and the next thing he knew, gun-Leon was pointed to Nono's head. Immediately, he felt the external advisor training his glock on him as well, but the leader made no move, knowing that even then, Reborn would not shoot him.

"And what? You will separate him from the only person he knows and seclude him in a room? Will _he_ try to get to know him or his job is going to be too much again? There are already three other heirs to be the Decimo. Don't bring him into our war." He sounded almost defeated, but the two Skies knew better; his resolve was still burning brightly.

"Tsuna was born in Japan; wouldn't Primo choose a peaceful life for him?" He added softly.

Nono crossed his fingers and rested his elbows in the desk, studying both men with a calculating gaze. True, Tsunayoshi was different from him and his sons; his blood was pure Vongola, undiluted by the sins of the previous bosses. His uncanny resemblance to Giotto was proof of that. Because of that, he was already secretly making plans to pass on the title to him.

But that being the case, it might be counterproductive to introduce him to the Mafia so young and carrying such a grudge. As much as he loathed admitting it, Iemitsu had proved time and again that he was not parent material. He knew as well that his own sons, especially Enrico and Massimo, wouldn't take kindly if a new competitor for the title of Decimo appeared, even if he was a three years old; life would not be easy for him. If it was Reborn however, he would no doubt shape the boy into someone worthy by the time he reached the majority of age. He nodded to himself.

"What is your goal, Reborn?" Vongola Nono asked.

"I am going to leave the Mafia. If Nana accepts me, I'll move with them."

"Ha! Do you think it's going to be that easy? You have too many enemies for that!" Iemitsu sneered, but Reborn didn't pay him any attention, instead focusing on the old man. He sensed that he would not win completely, but for now it would be enough.

"Vongola won't give you or Nana any protection if you choose this path." Reborn smirked, lowering his arm but still keeping his guard up. "I can deal with that."

Nono studied him for a few more seconds. "Very well. I will allow Tsunayoshi to stay with his mother for now. However he won't be relieved from his position of possible heir. Should there be no other suitable candidates, he will become Vongola Decimo." Reborn growled quietly, but nodded his acceptance. He would just need to protect them himself if it came to that.

"Wait a minute, Nono! I don't agree with this!" Iemitsu said.

"Are you questioning my orders?" Nono admonished him. Not interested in the following discussion, Reborn excused himself with a curt nod and turned around to leave without another word.

There was only one thing left to do in Italy; it was time for 'Reborn' to disappear. And he knew just the person to make that happen.

* * *

"Daddy, daddy, look!" The nearly five years old bounced down the stairs; knowing that the boy was incredibly clumsy, the man hurried to the bottom. Tsuna was almost down when he tripped over his own feet, but he was already there to catch the child in the air. The man used the inertia to put the child over his shoulder and carry him around. The boy laughed. "Put me down, dad!"

"Umm~ Is someone talking? Where are they?" the adult said turning around. The child giggled. "I'm here!" He said, patting the other in the back. Smiling, the man put him down, ruffling his hair. The boy began bouncing again, before showing him a rumpled piece of paper. "Look! It's us!"

"You are getting better." The adult said appreciatively, leaning back to admire the boy's drawing before taking him by the shoulders, "why don't you show it to your mother?"

He watched the boy skip happily to his mother, and only when he was out of sight did he allow himself to grimace in pain. With a grunt, he touched his left shoulder to see if the bandages were still clean and in place. It had been a long time since the last assassin had found his location, and because of that he had gotten too careless. He had barely been able to get between her and the killer when the bullet came…

Nana appeared on the doorway, looking at him sadly. "Does it still hurt?"

"It is just a flesh wound. I've had worse." She approached him and traced the bullet wound with her fingers. He put his hand under her chin, to look at her in the eyes. "Hey, it's fine. I won't die that easily."

She chuckled weakly. "I know, I'm just worried about the shirts."

"Would you prefer it if I take them off?" He asked seductively, his lips almost touching hers. She laughed and leaned in, but just as their lips touched… a crash in the kitchen startled them, and a young voice started crying. She smiled apologetically before hurrying to the other room. "Don't cry Tsu-kun, mama is here." The man shook his head, before joining them.

As he crossed the doorway, he could only stare at the bloodied floor, and woman and child lying there, unmoving. His breath stopped, and for once fear gripped his heart as his thoughts swirled without order. He felt a part of him die, until one emotion raised above all the others; revenge.

"Reborn? Reborn! What is wrong? Oh God, you are so pale!" He blinked and the scene disappeared; the kitchen was once again spotless and Nana was there, pushing him into a chair with Tsuna standing behind her.

What had just happened?

'You can't protect them forever, you know? Sooner or later you will turn around and be a second too late.'

"What did you say?" The dark haired man whispered. Nana stopped in her ministrations to put a hand in his forehead. "Are you sure you are fine? No one said anything." The man looked at her a bit panicked, before composing himself. "I am fine."

The same voice chuckled. 'You cannot hide it from me. That is the fear that keeps you awake at night, isn't it?'

Just as the voice finished speaking, the phone started ringing in the other room. Feeling a dark premonition, he stood slowly. "I'll take it."

Cautiously, he picked it up; the voice at the other side of the line was smooth and dangerous; just as he had been in the past. _"Mister Reborn, I have a job for you."_

"I retired." He said, exchanging a grave look with Nana. Understanding lighting her features, she quickly ushered Tsuna away, going further into the house where there were no windows.

The voice sounded smug. _"I am sure we can reach an agreement. I need only the strongest; one last job, and I will give you everything you wish for."_

"Really? And what would that be?" The ex-hitman said, sarcasm dripping from his every word.

"_Safety for your family."_

"That is impossible." Reborn snapped.

"_Is it? Surely someone who was once so close to Vongola Nono knows that there are great powers in this world that cannot be explained."_ Reborn bit his lip; he had sworn that he would never again return to that dark place. But it had been close, too close… it would only take one moment, and it would be over. In his head he could hear it again, the terrified screams of their last moments.

"What would I need to do?"

"_I'll contact you soon with the next instructions."_

"Wait, I haven't agreed yet. First, I want to know your name."

There was a moment of silence before they answered. _"I'll call again tomorrow. Please do make up your mind before then, or I might not be able to meet my end of the bargain. As for my name… you may call me Checkerface."_

And the other person hung up. Angrily, Reborn threw the phone across the room. Years of experience told him one thing; they could not run away from this one.

For the course of eight months, Reborn responded to the man's callings and, true to the voice's promise, not one assassin stepped anywhere near the house. The raven head still didn't trusted him, but as time went on he decided to ignore his gut feeling and finish the job. After all, he was always careful. Nothing would happen.

That morning, he rolled around to kiss the woman in the forehead. She furrowed her brows, knowing what that meant. "Another mission?"

"He said it would be the last." He got up and looked for a new suit. She looked at him reproachfully, still in bed. He sighed.

"I won't let anyone put you in danger. You know it, Nana."

Nana looked away; he hated it, hated that first Iemitsu and then Reborn had dragged her into this dark world, that he had to put himself in danger so often, and she hated that she could forgive him so easily. She heard her lover walking towards the bedroom door, and called after him. "Please, be safe."

He nodded, and left. They didn't say goodbye.

Grim, the hitman walked to the meeting point, this time in a cliff. When he arrived, the rest were already there. Lal Mirch glared at him with distaste, still not having forgiven him for causing the rift between her boss and his wife. Reborn ignored her, as always, and Luce soon was by his side, trying to calm everyone; she was truly a big Sky to fit all this unruly Weathers.

They waited for nearly two hours, and Viper was already complaining about losing money when they heard him approaching. As one, every member went for their weapons, still wary around the contractor they had never seen face to face.

However, instead of Checkerface, a bright light engulfed them, paralyzing them. After a while, Reborn fell to his knees, clutching his chest like the others; only Luce was still standing. From the corner of his eye he could see a green and yellow blur running towards the Rain woman, but his senses where leaving him.

Just before he could completely lose consciousness, the pain stopped.

When the light dimmed, he felt dizzy and disoriented; he tried to stand only to fall again, and only then did he notice just how far the sky was, how big everything seemed. He looked around at his partners and he gasped; not wanting to believe, he fearfully looked down at his hands.

A baby's hands.

'All of you have been deemed worthy; from now on, you are the Arcobaleno. It is your duty to defend those pacifiers at any cost. With them comes the blessing of immortality… and don't try to escape your fate. This is your destiny.'

With that, that damned voice disappeared, leaving only seven one-year-olds and a terminally ill Sky. Almost as if was through a filter, Reborn heard Skull whimpering in terror, could hear Lal shouting at Colonello for interfering. Luce was only looking at them with tears in her eyes, as Fon turned his back to them and Viper balled her hands into fists until her knuckles turned white.

He didn't move or say a word. He just stood there, impassively, before pulling the wing of the fedora down and wordlessly leaving the clearing.

The best hitman in the world did _most definitely _not cry.

* * *

The letter arrived three days later, and as soon as she saw her name on the envelope she knew what was inside. She left the rest of the stack on the table, opening it with trembling hands.

_Dear Nana,_

_I have always lived my life so there wouldn't be any regrets the day of my death. But if you are reading this, it means that I have many things to regret. I regret abandoning you like this after promising that I would support you. I regret not being able to see Tsuna grow up, and the capable mother that you are. _

_But I will never regret meeting you. I won't regret protecting you._

_If you are reading this, it means that I won't be able to return; whether I am dead or just too deep into this mess, I don't know so I'll tell you this: Live your life, Nana. Cry if you want, get angry with me if you want, but live. If you find another man that makes you happy, don't throw it away; don't wait for me. In return I'll promise you that, even if I am now in the deepest of Hells, I will do everything in my power to go back to you… to win you back one more time._

"Mom? Where hurts?" The woman turned around with tears in her eyes and hugged her child tightly, feeling as if she would drown. Stupid, stupid men. "Of course I will wait, idiot."

* * *

**Once again, thanks for reading, and special thanks to all of you who reviewed, favorited and followed this story on the first chapter!**


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